Portfolio: Newspaper Column Article

Farmer's Market Opens Saturday
by Marsha Talley

Published in the Senior Service Finder, a weekly column in the Front Range Today section of The Fort Collins Coloradoan, 1987. With Marsha Talley as sole columnist in 1989, this column was titled "Seniors," and rewarded with prominent placement in the section.

Sweet corn, cantaloupe, peppers, peaches, cucumbers, peanut brittle and nursery stock are only a few popular items at local Farmer's Markets.

Each summer, lovers of fresh fruit and vegetables enjoy buying and selling their produce, and meeting new people, at these weekly markets.

The Larimer County Farmer's Market downtown opened Saturday for their 12th summer. Sponsored by the CSU Extension, the non-profit sale will run from 9 a.m. to noon each Saturday in the Larimer County Courthouse parking lot (Mountain and Mason) until at least mid-September or later.

To qualify, vendors should live in Larimer County, and must grow the produce on their land. Vendors can be farmers or backyard gardeners. Some are retired, and some are very young. Some make over $1,000 in a morning, and some make around $30. One young boy, who found catnip growing in his yard, turned his discovery into a $5 profit one Saturday.

Vendors should remember a few tips:

• Food must be grown, not bought for resale.
• Vendors must cook candy or prepared foods in a government-inspected kitchen.
• For items sold by weight, scales must be government tested.

Vendors can sign up on the day of the market. A 50 cent minimum fee and 1 percent of gross sales covers advertising and other minor expenses. Trained volunteer "Master Gardeners" can help price, sell, and display items. Vendors should arrive early for a good location.

Customers enjoy shopping here. Because vendors pick their produce the same day of the market, or the evening before, buyers can expect the freshest possible food.

Although the market is busy, drivers can find ample parking on Mountain Ave. and across Mason St. The handicapped can find convenient parking next to the market.

Buyers should bring cash, dress comfortably, and have a playful attitude. Buying and selling produce isn't all people do here. Many go to meet friends and have fun, said Master Gardener Bob Wallis.

If you live in Loveland, you can attend the Farmer's Market on 5th St., in the parking lot between Lincoln and Cleveland Ave. It opens the same days and hours.

For more information on the Larimer county Farmer's Market in Fort Collins call Bob Wallis at 484-8755 or Ken Hall, 484-1776.